Black On Black

What Black On Black does

Black On Black is a Brooklyn-based, founder-operated direct-to-consumer apparel and lifestyle brand established by 2017 that designs and sells graphic apparel, accessories, and home decor unified by themes of Black empowerment, Pan-Africanism, and social justice. The catalog spans t-shirts (slim fit, unisex, long-sleeved, women's), sweatshirts and hoodies organized into two premium tiers — the Mainstreet heavyweight pullover line ($80) and the Premium Cross-Grain Collection ($72-$85) — plus bags, backpacks, totes, and home decor including mugs ($20), throw pillows ($36+), hanging canvas prints ($45+), and framed canvas ($150). All transactions are processed through a proprietary Shopify-powered storefront with no wholesale, retail, or marketplace distribution; the website supports worldwide shipping across 70+ currencies. The brand has a registered trademark on the 'Not Pie®' slogan and donates a portion of proceeds from its 'See America' canvas collection to Color Of Change.

There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, no public API, and no third-party integrations underlying the business — the entire stack is vanilla Shopify with social-media-driven acquisition (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) plus an email newsletter. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time direct product sales to individual consumers seeking identity-driven apparel; no enterprise, B2B, or licensing revenue streams exist, and no funding rounds, acquisitions, or investor capital have been disclosed.

The operating model is explicitly a sole-proprietor structure: customer service is handled personally by the founder under the 'BXB Guarantee' via the [email protected] address. Governance and creative direction rest with the founder, and the brand differentiates through themed 'collections' (Episodes 1-4, Allies & Champions, Flaggin, Sound It Out, In Goddess We Trust) that function as editorial drops rather than mass-market SKU expansion.

Name

Black On Black

Legal name

Black On Black

Website

https://blackonblackbk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black On Black is a Brooklyn-based, founder-operated direct-to-consumer apparel and lifestyle brand selling graphic clothing, accessories, and home decor centered on Black empowerment and social justice themes through a Shopify storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts), accessories (bags, backpacks, totes), and home decor (throw pillows, canvas prints, mugs) directly to consumers through the company's e-commerce website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black On Black designs, produces, and sells graphic apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, sweatshirts), bags and backpacks, and home decor (mugs, throw pillows, canvas prints) carrying social-justice, Pan-African, and Black-empowerment messaging, sold directly to consumers through its own Shopify online store. The brand organizes products into themed collections such as Mainstreet, Premium Cross-Grain, VERSO, Episodes, Allies & Champions, In Goddess We Trust, USNYC, Sound It Out, Flaggin, Group Project, and See America.

Product overview

Black On Black is an apparel and lifestyle brand selling a unified portfolio of clothing and home decor products unified by themes of Black empowerment, Pan-Africanism, and social justice. The product lineup spans T-Shirts (slim fit, unisex, long-sleeved, youth, kids sizes), Sweatshirts/Hoodies (including the Mainstreet Collection with heavyweight pullover hoodies and the Premium Cross-Grain Collection), Bags/Backpacks/Totes, and Home Decor (mugs, throw pillows, hanging canvas prints, framed canvas, acrylic prints). Key sub-brands include VERSO, the Episodes Collection (1-4), Allies & Champions, In Goddess We Trust, and the Sound It Out series. The brand's governing principle is 'Deconstruct The Construct.' Products are sold through a Shopify e-commerce platform with no apparent AI capabilities, public API, or third-party integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Color Of ChangeminorOthersA portion of profits from 'See America' framed canvas and acrylic print products are donated to Color Of Change and other organizations fighting for racial justice and social change. This is a charitable giving initiative rather than a commercial partnership.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Daily Paper: Amsterdam-founded streetwear brand rooted in African heritage and cultural storytelling, selling premium apparel and accessories through its own DTC storefront. Highly comparable to Black On Black as a culturally-led, Pan-African-inspired streetwear label with a similar storytelling-driven product and pricing strategy.
• Noah: NYC-founded ethical streetwear brand operated through its own DTC e-commerce site, focused on premium apparel with values-driven messaging around social responsibility. Comparable boutique streetwear positioning, premium pricing, and direct-to-consumer model.
• Pyer Moss: Brooklyn-born fashion brand centered on Black American storytelling, history, and social commentary through apparel and accessories. Directly comparable values-driven, Brooklyn-based identity and statement-driven product strategy.
• Public School NYC: New York-based independent fashion label operating its own e-commerce storefront with premium streetwear and statement apparel. Operates in the same NYC streetwear space with comparable DTC-only distribution.
• Awake NY: Independent NYC-based streetwear label selling graphic apparel, accessories, and home goods through Shopify DTC. Operates in the same Brooklyn/NYC streetwear ecosystem as Black On Black, with a comparable boutique-DTC model and themed seasonal collections.
• Brother Vellies: Brooklyn-based designer brand making premium accessories and lifestyle goods with cultural storytelling and artisan production. Comparable Brooklyn origin, premium positioning, and values-driven storytelling through product.

Broad incumbents

• Cotopaxi: Larger mission-driven outdoor and lifestyle apparel brand using its cause-driven 'Gear For Good' identity to drive premium DTC sales. Compares on the values-led DTC apparel playbook but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Carhartt WIP: Established workwear-heritage streetwear brand with a global DTC e-commerce operation. Comparable product categories (heavyweight hoodies, sweatshirts, accessories) and aesthetic overlap with Black On Black's Mainstreet Collection, but at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Hanifa: Black female-founded ready-to-wear fashion brand using DTC channels and social-media-led drops. Comparable mission-driven apparel brand targeting a similar cultural and identity-driven consumer base.
• TomboyX: Mission-driven apparel brand operating DTC via its own e-commerce storefront with cause-led branding. Comparable independent values-driven apparel brand selling through a single Shopify-style storefront with a clear social thesis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackonblackbk
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackonblackbk
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackonblackbk
• Pinterestpinterest.com/blackonblackbk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackonblackbk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black On Black